1: Reviewing This Week’s Calendar

This is similar to how we end our week. It’s good to have this as a habit at the beginning and ending or the week.

Make note of any business contacts you need to meet with or contact this week. Make a short list of who needs to be contacted and set tentative dates and times to do so.

Photo by: Dafne Cholet

2: Arriving At The Office 30 Minutes Earlier

“But I don’t have time to have the time to get into the office earlier!”

Time Management is Life Management!

The biggest problem most people have is “Time Poverty!”

We perceive that we are short of time in almost all areas of our lives. The truth is, is that everyone has the exact same amount to time to do things within each and every day. It’s what you do with that time that is of most importance!

Developing Time Management Habits enables you to work smarter, not harder.

Managing time for a successful practice goes beyond your practice. It must include all facets of your personal and professional life.

Personal and business lives have a symbiotic relationship. When one suffers or prospers, so does the other.

Getting into the office affords you time to gather your patients files for the day. Review each file and reflect on what was treated, accomplished previously and formulate a game plan for today’s appointment. Even though that plan can be thrown out the window if the patient arrives with new complaints, at least you went through the process of planning and reflecting.

Performing these on a regular basis develops within you the ability to become faster at it.

3: Planning Your Weekly Errands.

Staying with the Time Management topic, reflecting on your weekly calendar allows you the opportunity to best attempt to balance work and life schedules.

Groceries need to be bought, kiddlets need to be picked up and taken to various activities, food needs to be planned and then there is your clinic and all the aspects that go along with it.

Supply runs, and so on all need to be scheduled.

Life can seem overwhelming.

What has been shown to work best is to sit down and plan the week. Sometimes it’s a great way to get the family involved. Everyone gets to plan out the “Family Schedule”. It’s a great bonding time for everyone to come together and recognize each other’s contributions to the family.

Option 1:
Get a big calendar desktop paper that can be posted on the way and start filling it in. Everyone gets a colour.

Option 2:
These days, everyone seems to “Be Connected” through technology. Technology has made it simple to have everyone’s calendars synced to each other. Have a Family Calendar that everyone contributes to and receives updates on.

We all know that “Life Happens” and unplanned events can happen.

Your Stress level during these time will be far less knowing that you have effectively planned your time for the week and altering the planned events will be easier.

Photo by: StartupStockPhotos

4: Planning Your Meals! Meal Plan

Nutrition is more important for manual therapists due to the fact that we have a very physically demanding profession.

Some days it really feels as if we are endurance athletes!

Planning good daily nutritional intake to support our athletic activities (treating patients) is imperative to our performance, our ability to serve our patients to our highest ability!

It’s quite easy to get into the habit of stopping for some quick food somewhere only once. But as the “only once” time happens again and again, before you know it, it’s everyday. NOT the habit we want!

Planning food can be incredibly easy as long as you keep it simple. Plan out your daily eating habits for each day of the week. Copy and past that week into the next week and so on. You have just created your grocery-shopping list for the week.

5: Look Ahead To Your Weekend!

Think about something fun to arrange.

Something that gets you out of your routine.

Something that surrounds you with positive people and activities.

Too often we do not effectively plan our weeks, work becomes all-consuming and by the time the weekend roles around, we are exhausted. By planning your week efficiently, you create a life where you are energized throughout each and every day and when the weekend is reached, you have planned exciting events and activities to look forward to and positive people to spend time with.

Remember that sometimes we all need some down time and taking a weekend to relax, reflect and re-energize is prescribed. Take those times and enjoy them.

Be sure to include some outdoors activities just to keep you moving!

Don’t feel bad if you don’t get through all of these. This exercise is to get you into the habit of beginning your week productively and positively!

Robert Libbey

Robert Graduated from CCMH in 1994.
He is recognized as a national instructor across Canada instructing Ligamentous Articular Strain Technique. He has a passion for inspiring manual therapists to perform to their highest ability and to providing high quality educational programs to the profession.
From 2001–2008 Robert instructed Orthopedics and Neurological Examination departments at the West Coast College of Massage Therapy (WCCMT).
Robert can be contacted at www.lastsite.ca